# \-monger. Why just fish & whores? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278 "2014-01-08T15:30:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/1 "2014-01-08T15:30:50Z")
Fishmonger is a term I hear fairly commonly, whoremonger less so. Why is the use of monger restricted to these two situations? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/2 "2014-01-08T15:34:58Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Fishmonger is a term I hear fairly commonly, whoremonger less so. Why is the use of monger restricted to these two situations? Followup Question: Why are they opposites? A fishmonger sells fish, a whoremonger spends money (buys) on whores. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/3 "2014-01-08T15:35:00Z")
[Ironmonger.](http://www.onelook.com/?w=ironmonger&ls=b&sourceid=Mozilla-search) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/4 "2014-01-08T15:36:19Z")
Ironmonger Cheesemonger Fear Monger Costermonger Scaremonger ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/5 "2014-01-08T15:36:46Z")
Costermonger. Warmonger. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/6 "2014-01-08T15:40:08Z")
It isn’t. It’s mostly archaic now, and I wouldn’t say it’s even used commonly for fishmonger. However, there are still ironmongers (especially [in Great Britain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironmongery)), [cheesemongers,](http://www.cheesesociety.org/conference/official-cheesemonger/) etc. It’s just that the terms are not generally used among the general public. ---
**Author:** ![luce\_gilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@luce\_gilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luce_gilmore)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/7 "2014-01-08T15:43:19Z")
As well as mongers for fish & whores, there are ironmongers, costermongers (selling fruit from barrows in London), rumo(u)rmongers, & scandalmongers. I’m sure there are others. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/8 "2014-01-08T15:44:18Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > [Ironmonger.](http://www.onelook.com/?w=ironmonger&ls=b&sourceid=Mozilla-search) When I visited Spain, I kept seeing stores called “Ferreteria.” Out of total ignorance, I thought they were cafeterias specializing in ferret meat. Then I peeked inside one, and discovered that they were hardware stores . . . ironmongers’ stores. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/9 "2014-01-08T15:47:52Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Followup Question: Why are they opposites? A fishmonger sells fish, a whoremonger spends money (buys) on whores. I wouldn’t say they are opposites. The basic meaning of “monger” is [broker or dealer](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monger), that is, someone involved in the trade of. According to Merriam-Webster, the term “whoremaster,” originating in the 14th century, preceded “whoremonger” (1526). This suggests the original sense may have been pimp instead of client. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/10 "2014-01-08T15:53:46Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I wouldn’t say they are opposites. The basic meaning of “monger” is [broker or dealer](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monger), that is, someone involved in the trade of. According to Merriam-Webster, the term “whoremaster,” originating in the 14th century, preceded “whoremonger” (1526). This suggests the original sense may have been pimp instead of client. Shows how old I am. I always thought it meant pimp. Kids today and their language! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/11 "2014-01-08T15:55:34Z")
I think War Monger is probably the most commonly heard “monger” word, at least in the US. Fear Monger maybe being a close second. I would not consider either of those to be archaic. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/12 "2014-01-08T15:55:43Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Followup Question: Why are they opposites? A fishmonger sells fish, a whoremonger spends money (buys) on whores. I thought a whoremonger was a pimp. Dammit, someone visited the ninja-monger. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/13 "2014-01-08T15:57:16Z")
Note that all “modern” usages of the term (rumormonger, scandalmonger, scaremonger) are meant to be disparaging to the person being described as such. That change of meaning is probably why people no longer use it for values-neutral sellers of things (e.g. ipadmongers). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/14 "2014-01-08T16:02:01Z")
I think we should all start using -monger as often as possible, in neutral contexts. Then we can take back this colorful and useful word and restore it to respectability. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the coffeemonger to get a cappuccino. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/15 "2014-01-08T16:21:52Z")
I have a follow-up question. I keep hearing people pronounce this as “monger” with the O as in “long,” but I always thought it was pronounced “munger,” like “monkey” is “munky” rather than “mon-key” (and presumably for the same phonetic reason). Is the o-as-in-long pronunciation a spelling pronunciation, a regional thing, flat-out wrong, or am I wrong about the “munger” pronunciation? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/16 "2014-01-08T16:25:38Z")
I think that it’s just that the word survived for products that have existed since the word was common. Some things that people used to mong a lot, they don’t any more, so those mongers have fallen out of common use. And I thought an ironmonger was one who sold weapons, not civilian tools. ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/17 "2014-01-08T16:29:29Z")
I’ve never heard it to rhyme with hunger, but usually with -mon- pronounced as ryming with bon-bon or Khan–the o taking on the “a” sound in _aaahhh_ or _father_ (I’m from the Midwest and now live in central Florida) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/18 "2014-01-08T16:32:01Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > When I visited Spain, I kept seeing stores called “Ferreteria.” Out of total ignorance, I thought they were cafeterias specializing in ferret meat. Then I peeked inside one, and discovered that they were hardware stores . . . ironmongers’ stores. hijack since anyway the thread is about word roots: The symbol for iron is Fe, from Latin Ferrum. _Ferretería_ = ironmonger’s, _ferretero_ = ironmonger; _herrería_ = smithy, _herrero_ = blacksmith; _hierro_ = iron. The most usual word has changed most from the original common root, the least usual ones have changed least. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/19 "2014-01-08T16:33:01Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I think we should all start using -monger as often as possible, in neutral contexts. Then we can take back this colorful and useful word and restore it to respectability. Heh, that’s exactly the direction my thoughts were headed. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278/20 "2014-01-08T16:35:32Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I have a follow-up question. I keep hearing people pronounce this as “monger” with the O as in “long,” but I always thought it was pronounced “munger,” like “monkey” is “munky” rather than “mon-key” (and presumably for the same phonetic reason). Is the o-as-in-long pronunciation a spelling pronunciation, a regional thing, flat-out wrong, or am I wrong about the “munger” pronunciation? Merriam Webster indicates that the correct pronunciation is “munger.” I suspect as the word has become rarer people tend to pronounce it as it is spelled since they don’t often hear it said. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monger-why-just-fish-whores/678278.md?page=2)